To get the best help for your situation, first answer the questions on the Preliminary questions page.
What to do
Guardianship and continuing power of attorney
- Preliminary questions
- Take these steps
- Prepare for the future with a continuing power of attorney
- Preparing a continuing power of attorney
- Content of a continuing power of attorney document
- Keeping and validating the continuing power of attorney document
- Cancelling or changing the continuing power of attorney
- Identifying the situation
- Starting to use the power of attorney
- Managing matters with a continuing power of attorney
- End of the continuing power of attorney
- Identifying the situation of a close person
- Applying for guardianship
- During the guardianship
- Guardianship ends or the guardian is replaced
- When does a child need a guardian?
- Duties of a child’s guardian
- You guardianship duties are ending
- Help with managing finances
- Applying for a guardian for yourself
- If a guardian is appointed to me
- Changing guardians or termination of guardianship
- Checklist
Prepare for the future with a continuing power of attorney
What is meant by continuing power of attorney?
You can safeguard the management of your property and other personal matters with a continuing power of attorney. It is only used when you are no longer able to manage your own affairs.
Continuing power of attorney and guardianship are two different things. By granting a continuing power of attorney, you can decide yourself how your affairs will be managed in the future. You will also make things easier for persons close to you because a continuing power of attorney involves less official supervision than traditional guardianship.
Updated: 5/5/2023
Who can grant a continuing power of attorney?
You can grant a continuing power of attorney if you are at least 18 years old and you are able to understand the contents and meaning of the arrangement.
If, for example, you are suffering from an early form of a memory disorder, you should attach a medical certificate to the power of attorney. With the medical certificate you can prove that you understand sufficiently well the significance of preparing a continuing power of attorney.
Updated: 17/6/2022
Other ways to manage your affairs
Continuing power of attorney is the most convenient way to ensure that your affairs will be properly managed in the future. There are also other instruments that you should consider when preparing for the future. These include other powers of attorney, Suomi.fi e-Authorizations and bank account user rights.
Updated: 21/2/2024